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Plastic Bags, Utensils to Be Met With Fines in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin

A law imposing fines on the import and sale of plastic bags and utensils is aimed at reducing the harmful effects of polymeric materials on health and the environment in the Kyrgyz Republic, according to the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan. The ban will take effect in the resort and recreational area of Issyk-Kul, as well as in reserves and natural parks of Kyrgyzstan. The ban was signed by President Japarov last year, since when deputies and the Ministry of Natural Resources of have been working on finalizing its details. One sticking point is that the authorities still can't decide whether to ban all plastic or to make an exception for some products. Shashlyk vendor, Issyk-Kul; Photo: TCA "The list of plastic products banned for circulation includes all kinds of disposable plastic utensils, disposable plastic packaging for food, plastic bottles, disposable plastic packaging for eggs, plastic coffee capsules, [and plastic] bags for food," the law states. But, as the Ministry of Natural Resources notes, the law is still being amended and there is a lack of clarity. Meanwhile, food vendors in the Issyk-Kul region say that not all citizens are ready to give up plastic bags and bottles. Therefore, while large stores in Issyk-Kul have stopped selling disposable tableware and replaced them with paper products and Tetra Pak substitutes, the law is poorly enforced in markets and smaller outlets. Lake Issyk-Kul; Photo: TCA According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, the Supervision Service has not imposed a single fine so far, with only warnings being issued. However, they say that as soon as all of the controversial issues have considered, sellers and producers will be fined. So far, the law applies only to sellers and manufacturers of plastic products. Private individuals can use bags, bottles and disposable tableware. In January of this year, the Issyk-Kul Region became the first in the country where a ban on the circulation of plastic was introduced. From 2027, the law will be expanded to ban the use of plastic containers throughout the country. Businesses are not satisfied, however, complaining that their opinion was not taken into account in drafting the law. In their opinion, it would have been better to prescribe economic incentives for businesses. Currently, they argue, all soft drinks and vegetable oils are bottled in plastic bottles, and it's difficult to find replacements for them. In addition, Kyrgyzstan does not yet have large production facilities for alternative containers such as paperboard-and-foil Tetra Paks or glass bottles. Most plastic goods are imported into Kyrgyzstan from abroad, mainly from countries which are not planning to give up disposable plastic containers and are only increasing their production. Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan's environmentalists have long been sounding the alarm. The biggest danger to the country's ecology is plastic bottles and cellophane bags, which can be scattered by the wind over a large area. For example, the problem of toxic plastic pollution is particularly acute in...

Central Asia Home Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Life & Culture Features

Pandemic Hangover Continues to Affect Mental Health

According to the latest Sapien Labs Mental State of the World Report, Uzbekistan ranked last among 71 countries, including all other Central Asian countries (Turkmenistan was not included in the ranking). The ranking is based on the mood of residents and their outlook on life in 2023. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are included for the first time. The Dominican Republic tops the list, followed by Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Panama, and Malaysia. The United Kingdom occupies the penultimate place ahead of Uzbekistan. Some poor countries in Africa and Latin America have overtaken the developed countries of Europe and the Americas on a number of indicators. Researchers have noted a trend towards depressed moods since the Covid-19 pandemic - a trend which is still going strong after more than four years. They believe that low rates of mental wellbeing in rich countries are linked to multiple factors, including smartphone addiction, fast-food consumption, the breakdown of friendships and family relationships, and the rising isolation due to working from home. Furthermore, GDP per capita figures are inversely correlated with average mental wellbeing, once again confirming the old adage that "money can't buy happiness." In 2022, the results of a study on adolescent mental health were published in Uzbekistan for the first time. UNICEF, together with partner organizations, surveyed 22,854 students in 299 schools from all 14 regions to better understand the needs of adolescents and to identify school-related factors affecting their mental health and psycho-social wellbeing. The study found that more than 10% of students do not feel socially connected to their school and feel isolated. Also, a significant number of students - 15.4% - suffer from anxiety, and another 9.8% experienced depression. Based on this data, UNICEF experts recommended improving family and friendship connections, expanding social ties, and creating a comfortable school environment for adolescents. Scientists have noted that indicators of mental wellbeing have especially decreased among young people, who are most dependent on modern technology. Meanwhile, people aged 65 and older have not seen a strong deterioration in scores since 2010. Another conclusion reached was that the level of mental wellbeing depends on the frequency in which processed foods are consumed, which affects the onset of depression and reduced emotional wellbeing. An important factor was also the disruption of intra-family relationships. According to research, 10% of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 do not get along with anyone in their family and prefer not to see them, while the analogous figure among the older generation is only three%. Weak family ties, scientists say, quadruple the likelihood of mental-health problems in adulthood.

Central Asia Kazakhstan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy Features

Kazakhstan to Extend Voluntary Oil-Production Cut at 82,000 Barrels Per Day

Kazakhstan has decided to extend the voluntary reduction in oil production through the end of the second quarter of 2024 to preserve the supply-demand balance and ensure the sustainability of oil markets, according to a statement from representatives of the Kazakh Ministry of Energy. Under this prolonged initiative, oil production in Kazakhstan will amount to 1.468 million barrels per day (bpd) until the end of June 2024. Subsequently, these volumes will be returned in order to maintain market stability. Previously, Kazakhstan had already agreed to a similar initiative: in April last year, it undertook a voluntary reduction in oil production by 78,000 bpd. The extension of additional voluntary oil production cuts was also announced by almost all OPEC+ member countries. The output restrictions, which came into effect on January 1 and amount to about 2 million barrels per day, will remain in effect until the end of June. Saudi Arabia announced a further extension to its voluntary oil production cut of one million barrels per day which was initiated last July. By June 2024 of the restriction period, Saudi Arabia's oil production will be at its lowest level since 2011 - 9 million barrels per day. Russia also announced the prolongation of additional oil production cuts. In the second half of the year, Russia intends to limit its production and exports by a total of 471,000 barrels per month. In April, Russia will reduce production by 350,000 barrels and exports by 121,000 barrels; in May by 400,000 barrels and 71,000 barrels, respectively; and in June only production will be reduced by 471,000 barrels for the month. The voluntary extension of output restrictions was also supported by other member states, namely the UAE, which reduced daily oil production by 163,000 barrels. Kuwait will hold its oil production lower by 135,000 barrels per day; Algeria reduced oil production by 51,000 barrels per day, and Oman by 42,000. According to the Iraqi News Agency, Iraq will withhold production to the tune of 220,000 bpd in the first half of 2024, and targets a production rate at the end of June 2024 at four million bpd. In January of this year, the country's oil production, according to OPEC data, amounted to 4.194 million bpd.

Central Asia Home International Affairs Kazakhstan Kazakhstan International Affairs Features

Kazakhstan Comments on Russian Missile Tests on its Territory

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Russia tests its missiles inside of Kazakhstan's borders. The country's deputy minister of defense Shaykh-Khasan Zhazykbayev has gone on record to say that in Kazakhstan there is a military test range called Saryshagan, where the 110th training center of the Russian Federation does indeed conduct missile tests. Zhazykbayev noted that Russia has a treaty dating back to 1993, according to which it has the right to use this land as a testing ground. "Missiles of up to 200 kilometers' range are tested there. There is no infrastructure and population [on] this range, so no one suffers," said Zhazykbayev. The deputy minister also noted that Russia conducts only 50 hours of missile testing at Saryshagan each year. The Saryshagan military training range in Kazakhstan is located in the Karaganda and Zhambyl regions, to the northwest and west of Lake Balkhash in the Betpak-Dala steppe. Its construction began in 1956, and its area now holds an active military airfield and several abandoned dirt airfields. The Yekaterinburg to Almaty highway runs through it. Presently it's considered to be the first and the only military range in Eurasia where missile weapons are developed and tested.

Central Asia Environment Home Kyrgyzstan Environment Kyrgyzstan Features

Kyrgyzstan Responds to Climate Change with Artificial Glaciers

Global climate change, a topic which is always on the minds of scientists around the world, has particularly acute effects in landlocked Central Asia, where water has always been in limited supply, the effects of climate change - a topic increasingly on the minds of people around the world – have been particularly acute. In recent years, the shortage of water in rivers and lakes has had an extremely negative impact on agriculture and livestock farming. With 94% of the country's landmass covered by mountains, Kyrgyzstan feels the negative effects of climate change first and foremost. A harsh continental climate with a wide range of average annual temperature fluctuations (from +40℃ to -40℃) and low precipitation makes livestock farming difficult. In addition, the inaccessible mountainous terrain makes it challenging for local residents to access drinking water - the main source of which is mountain springs. Therefore, artificial glaciers have been created to combat the negative effects of rising temperatures. The first project of its kind appeared in the Republic in 2019 in the village of Jergetal in the Naryn Region. By 2021, the total number of artificial ice deposits had grown to eleven. These numbers continue to grow. In 2022, an artificial glacier was built in the remote pasture of Kara-Dobo in the Jalal-Abad region thanks to the efforts of local residents, and with technical assistance from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and financial support of $5,500 from the UN Peacebuilding Fund. The next year, more villages followed this example to preserve livestock farming in arid areas. The artificial ice in Orozbekov in the Batken Region is expected to help provide sustenance for livestock belonging to the residents of three villages. "Water for the glacier comes from a mountain spring through pipelines,” Chairman of the Pasture Users Committee of the Orozbekov village area, Eminbek Temirbayev explained. “This system works without requiring electricity.” It is believed that the world's first artificial glacier was created in the late 1980s by the engineer, the "Ice Man" Chewang Norphel from the Indian village of Skara in the western Tibetan Plateau. Later, having improved the methods for creating these glaciers, the specialist helped local villagers store and deliver water for fields and pastures. Artificial glaciers are created by freezing a natural spring of water that emerges from a mountain source. Gradually, ice towers of 30 to 50 meters high form around those springs. With warming temperatures, the glacier begins to melt, becoming a prolonged source of drinking water. The relative cheapness of such structures and the simplicity of their design make artificial glaciers a universal means of providing water to residents in arid and hard to access mountainous areas. People only need to install the pipes, and nature will take care of the rest. Given the successful experience with the installations in Kyrgyzstan, the authorities are planning to build four more artificial glaciers in 2024 as part of a joint project in the Batken and Leilek districts of Batken Region. According to the Kyrgyz Zhayity...

Features

EBRD Announces Third Stage of Funding for Green Projects in Kyrgyzstan

On 29th February, Mark Bowman, Vice President of The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) visited Bishkek to announce a new partnership with Demir Kyrgyz International Bank, FINCA Bank Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank. Applauding their commitment, Bowman said, “We welcome partner banks to KyrSEFF III and their participation in our third green financing facility in the Kyrgyz Republic to help address pressing environmental challenges. For more than 10 years, the EBRD, local financial institutions and the authorities have worked together to promote a greener future for the country. We look forward to building on this success.” Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, Daniyar Amangeldiev expressed gratitude to the EBRD for supporting the KyrSEFF program, which has so far invested more than $55 million in 3,355 energy efficiency projects in Kyrgyzstan. While previous initiatives focused mainly on energy and resource efficiency, the new Green Economy Financing Facility KyrSEFF III has expanded its remit by investing a further $50 million to support climate resilience and adaptation, reduce pollution and promote the sustainable use of water. Loans will be offered to relevant small and medium-sized businesses as well as households across the country. Finance will also be available to retailers and producers of material and equipment covered by the KyrSEFF Technology Selector, an online database of energy-saving technologies.